Effect of Lamivudine-Artesunate Co-administration on Some Biological Parameters in Wistar Rats

Temidayo Olurishe1, Helen Kwanashie1, Joseph Anuka1, Haruna Muktar2. 1Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria, 2Haematology Department, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria.

In Africa, HIV/AIDS is a health concern added to the existing burden of malaria. With the WHO advocating the use of combination therapy for malaria, the use of Artesunate (AS)/AS based combinations have become a frequent therapy in most malaria endemic regions. Lamivudine (3TC), an effective drug useful in HIV infection management and post exposure prophylaxis as well as in hepatitis, is often used alongside (AS)/AS based combinations in falciparum malaria. This study was designed to investigate the effect of concurrent administration of both drugs on some selected biological parameters in adult wistar rats of either sex (225 ± 4.4 g). Lamivudine (20 mg/kg) was administered daily for 21 days to two groups of rats with one of the groups receiving an added 10 mg/kg of AS from day 15. Another group of rats received only AS from day 15-21, while a fourth group served as saline control, drug administration being intraperitoneal. For all groups n = 5. Weekly weights of the animals did not significantly differ, neither did results of oral glucose tolerance test conducted at the end of the study, although there was decrease in glucose tolerance in the AS and 3TC/AS groups relative to control (P>0.05). After sacrifice following anaesthesia, blood and organs were collected. There was no difference in serum liver enzymes, AST (20.8—23.8 IU/L), ALT (36.2-48.6 IU/L) and ALP (64.2-66.6 IU/L). Although statistically insignificant (P>0.05), there were observed differences in the relative organ weights (liver, pancreas and spleen) of the AS and 3TC/AS groups relative to control. The current data shows that the combination may not have severe adverse effects during the short seven-day duration of co administration. However studies are under way to investigate the implications of this interaction.